Well it didn't go easy when Murphy and Spud first met. There was much barking and lunging and a crying boy who thought that he was meeting a new dog friend only to discover that the dog wasn't on the same page. The yard was filled with canine roaring and cries of: "He hates me! He hates me!"

But with time, and close supervision, and a big sack of dog treats, we started making progress.

Now we're at a pace where I tell Murphy that I'm going to "get" his boy and reach out as it to grab him and Murphy steps in between us to gently grip my wrist with his mouth and pull it back away from Spud's arm.